The Use of
ANIMALS IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WEBQUEST – LONG
Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. WWW.NABRANIMALLAW.ORG Click on Research Animal Protection at the top. Click on Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on the right of the screen •
What is APHIS and what does it do? The Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership for determining standards of humane care and treatment of animals. APHIS implements those standards and achieves compliance through inspection, education, and cooperative efforts.
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What is the AWA? Animal Welfare Act (AWA) First enacted in 1966, the AWA has been amended several times significantly expanding the original scope. The AWA requires the Secretary of Agriculture to advocate standards. The Act also requires the USDA to establish minimum requirements for the exercise of dogs, for a physical environment to promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates and to ensure animal pain and distress are minimized during experiments.
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What does it make standards for? Governing the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals by research facilities, dealers and exhibitors. These standards must include minimum requirements for handling, housing, feeding, watering, sanitation, ventilation, shelter from extremes of weather and temperatures, separation of species, and adequate veterinary care, including the appropriate use of anesthetic, analgesic, or tranquilizing drugs.
2. WWW.KIDS4RESEARCH.ORG/TEENS Click on Animals in Research (pink) and then Rules and Laws •
What percentage of animals used in research each year are mice, rats, and other rodents bred for research? 90 percent or more: 90 percent or more of the animals used in research each year are mice, rats, and other rodents bred for research; cats, dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, primates, and other animals collectively make up the remaining 10 percent
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Read about the 3Rs. What are alternatives that must be tried before animal research? Alternatives must be considered for every experiment that involves even potentially painful procedures in animals. Can we alter the experiment to reduce the pain or distress? Can we use fewer animals? Can the experiment be done without animals? This is the concept of the 3 Rs—reducing the number of animals used, refining our techniques to reduce pain and distress, and replacing animal experiments with those that do not require animals. There are alternatives to potentially painful procedures in animal research that, under the right circumstances, can be used. Cell-cultures and computer-generated models and simulations can sometimes give researchers the information they need. Pain can be reduced or controlled by the use of anesthesia and analgesia as well as through training of animal handlers. Finally, the number of animals needed can be reduced by improving the model system so that fewer animals are required to produce accurate results. Before initiating a study, researchers must search the literature to make sure they’re not duplicating a past experiment. They must also consider the above alternatives when constructing their study.
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How many laws regulate animal research and watch for the welfare of animals? (count) Eleven – 28-Hour Law (1873) – Animal Welfare Act (1966) – Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals – Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care – State Certification for Animal Research (AAALAC) – Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) – US Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals – ILAR Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals – AVMA Panel Report on Euthanasia – Good Laboratory Practices Act – Health Research Extension Act
2 Click on Welfare •
What is the difference between animal welfare and animal rights? Animal welfare is a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being. It is fundamentally recognized that all people have a moral obligation to treat animals humanely and responsibly. Animal rights, on the other hand, is the philosophical notion that humans and animals have the same legal rights—in the animal rights movement, there is no difference between a rat and sick child. For this reason, they oppose the involvement of any animals, for any purpose, in any medical research.
Click on Species Information •
List one area of research for
Cats Aids Vision disorders such as amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), glaucoma, and cataracts Studies on the spinal cord and other types of research involving the nervous system Recovery from traumatic injuries and strokes Gangliosidosis, a disorder that causes skeletal abnormalities and mental retardation in humans Hearing disorders Diabetes mellitus Toxoplamosis Improved animal surgical procedures and new vaccines to prevent animal diseases
Dogs Cardiovascular system CPR techniques Vision disorders such as glaucoma and cataracts Digestion research Therapeutic use of insulin Bone marrow transplantation Suture and grafting of blood vessels Respiratory system Anemia Creation of the heart-lung machine Pacemaker implantation Organ transplants Surgery to replace hips and other joints Lou Gehrig’s disease Diabetes Dental care Chemotherapy Canine vaccines for rabies Treatment of post-shock conditions
Primates Vaccines for polio, rubella, Hepatitis B Cure for yellow fever Discovery of Rhesus (Rh) factor in blood Treatment of Parkinson’s symptoms Studies on AIDS, measles, and malaria Periodontal disease Removal of retinal scar tissue Effects of pollution on infants Development of dietary supplements to treat atherosclerosis Development of artificial blood vessels to bypass or replace blocked arteries Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and mental retardation Liver disease, drug abuse, and obesity Taurine deficiency, which causes vision problems, and zinc deficiency, which causes growth retardation in infants and fetuses Multiple sclerosis and restoring muscle function to paralyzed limbs Bone marrow cancer, and treatment and prevention of colon cancer
Frogs, Fish, Reptiles, and Birds Tetanus vaccine Malaria Cure for beriberi Use of ether as an anesthetic Edema treatment Importance of vitamins A, C, and D Cell chemistry Neurobiological studies Liver cancer Diabetes Coronary heart disease
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What animals and diseases were you surprised to see on the list? Completely subjective
Click on Research Process (yellow) and then on Research Models •
In paragraph 3, what is the difference between natural and induced animal models? Animal models can be categorized as natural or induced. Natural models are those in which a condition occurs spontaneously, such as atherosclerosis in the squirrel monkey. Atherosclerosis is a prevalent human disease in which fatty deposits occur along the inner walls of the arteries. By studying the natural disease in these monkeys, it is possible to learn facts about the disease that are also true in humans. Other examples of natural animal models are epilepsy in Mongolian gerbils and diabetes in some strains of mice. Induced animal models are those in which a disease or condition must be artificially produced. Tumor cells, for example, can be injected into animals as a means of studying cancer. Animals may also be treated with chemicals that cause them to develop cancer. Studies of this type showed that certain chemicals in cigarette smoke cause cancer.
Click on Toxicology Studies •
List 3 reasons/types of toxicology studies Acute Toxicity Study: Reason: assess the short-term toxicity of various substances. Subchronic Toxicity Study: Reason: 13-26 week duration. assess the level of toxicity, as well as changes in body weight or food consumption. Chronic Toxicity Study: Reason: assess the longer-term toxicity as well as carcinogenic (cancer-causing) potential of various substances. Reproductive: Reason: assess the changes in the reproductive cycle caused by the compound being tested and the toxic effects of the compound on fertility, organ development, and behavior.
Click on Benefits of Research (green) and click on helping animals and benefits to animals. How have animals benefited from research done for people? Some of the many health problems affecting both humans and animals are: – allergies – arthritis – birth defects – cancer – tuberculosis – asthma – heart disease – kidney disease – epilepsy – ulcers – measles – influenza (the flu) – hypertension – glaucoma – diabetes – bronchitis – leukemia – deafness – tetanus – immunodeficiency (HIV) diseases
